Witches of Mystic Falls
by jazzywazzy08
Summary: When Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to Mystic Falls to find the two witches that they fell in love with in 1864, Sheila Bennett must reveal to her granddaughters, Bonnie and Emily Bennett that they are immortal witches with untapped powers, a revelation that turns their small-town life upside down. AU Series Rewrite inspired by Witches of East End.
1. Part One : Return

**Title:** The Witches of Mystic Falls

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Stefan, Emily/Damon, Tyler/Elena, Matt/Katherine, Caroline/Jeremy, Bonnie/Klaus, Emily/Elijah, etc.

 **Summary:** When Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to Mystic Falls to find the two witches that they fell in love with in 1864, Sheila Bennett must reveal to her granddaughters, Bonnie and Emily Bennett that they are immortal witches with untapped powers, a revelation that turns their small-town life upside _Series Rewrite inspired by Witches of East End_ **.**

 **Warnings:** Character Death, Violence, Infidelity, Sexual Content, Non-Canon, etc.

 _ **A/N: So this story was a request. Things you need to know are Bonnie and Emily are sisters. They suffer from an immortality curse that is similar to the one on Witches of East End. This is a Bonnie/Stefan and Emily/Damon fic. The rest should be explained as you read. If you have any questions let me know.**_

 **Part One || Return**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

 _The rushing water of the falls could be heard from below as Bonnie ran across the bridge towards the man standing on the other side._

 _The skirts of her white dress lifted in the breeze and her dark curls flew behind her. She smiled as she rushed towards him. The man that she knew and didn't know all at once. The man with the green eyes that glinted blue in the moonlight. The man that was all pale skin and chiseled features. The man that always looked at her with that romance novel stare whenever he appeared before her._

 _As she reached him she didn't hesitate to jump into his arms. He caught her easily wrapping her legs around his waist. She kissed him, her fingers running through his hair. He returned it full force and slowly retuned her down to her feet._

 _"I knew you'd come," he whispered before kissing her again. "I knew you'd come."_

 _She pulled away first, breathing heavily and feeling as if her skin had been licked by flames._

 _She smiled but the smile he returned looked slightly disappointed as he held her tightly against him. "Why do you look so sad?"_

 _His hands framed her face and his smile grew more genuine. "Because I've waited one hundred and fifty years for this and it's not even really happening."_

Bonnie Bennett awoke with a start to the sound of her sister pounding on her bedroom door. Bonnie sat up gasping as her sister shouted that she was going to be late for school. The words barely registered as she looked at the clock on her nightstand.

It was the tenth time she had had a dream about the same guy in as many nights. When her door flew open Bonnie was still staring into space.

"You're going to be late," Emily repeated as she leaned against the doorframe, "If you lay there any longer you'll make you _and_ Elena late. You promised to give her a ride, remember?"

Bonnie blinked at her older sister several times before processing her words. It was a Monday after they had spent the weekend with their Grams. Their father would expect them to come back home soon, not liking the woman's influence as he blamed her for their mother leaving years prior. Bonnie had planned on packing a bag before going to school but she would no longer have time it seemed. She had enough stuff left at the home she shared with her father in any case.

"Another dream?" Emily asked, ever the perceptive one. Her brown eyes looked on Bonnie with empathy but Bonnie brushed her off. Dreaming about a hot guy wasn't exactly the thing of nightmares. The problem as far as Bonnie was concerned was that he wasn't real.

"I'm up," Bonnie said, "I'll be ready soon. Text Elena for me."

Nodding Emily walked out of the room tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. Bonnie sighed. She would be going into her first year of high school without her sister. Emily would be entering into her first year of college, commuting to Whitmore College with her Grams and even taking Sheila Bennett's Occult Studies class.

Bonnie would miss her sister's presence but was relieved to be out of her shadow, even if she was still in the shadow of her two best friends, Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes.

Getting out of bed, Bonnie got dressed quickly, donning a light blue peasant top, a pair of navy blue skinny jeans and brown wedges. She knew she wouldn't have time to straighten her hair and so she quickly styled her natural curls and made her way down stairs.

She walked into the kitchen and was met by her grandmother's brown eyes watching her over her coffee cup. "Running late again I see. Dreams keeping you up."  
Bonnie took the cup of coffee Emily held out to her as she leaned against the kitchen island. "They're just dreams Grams."

Sheila looked unconvinced as she sat down her mug on the countertop. "Dreams are never just dreams to a witch," she said, "Our family can be traced back to Salem. Predates it I'm sure if we look back far enough. If you would just tell me what those dreams are about I could warn you of what's coming."

They had had the conversation several times now. Her grandmother always rambled about witches and danger and Salem and immortality after she'd downed a few drinks. Sometimes it happened when she was sober as well. Bonnie and Emily never took her seriously.

Emily suspected she was in the early stages or dementia, which was the real reason they often stayed with her, to ensure that she was taken care of. Emily had always said that her teenage years would have been a lot more interesting had she spent more of them at the home they shared with their father as he was always away on business and there was never really an adult supervision.

They rarely ever brought their friends to hang out over Sheila Bennett's house. The town thought that she was crazy enough as it was. They didn't need to hear more than they heard already. Bonnie still would never live down the time that Sheila had told Carol Lockwood that she would give her a discount on an aura cleansing to help with her bad attitude when she had been giving them all orders when they were helping set up for last year's Founder's Day Parade.

Bonnie gave her sister a sideways glance before reprimanding her. "I thought you stole the keys to her liquor cabinet like we talked about."

Emily let out a surprised laugh but her laughter ended as Sheila glared. "Laugh all you want but you will respect me in this house," she said, when the girls nodded she continued, "And you will have to face the truth soon enough. Whether you like it or not."

Emily shook her head. "Grams," she said, "The only thing Bonnie's dreams are trying to tell her is that she has a subconscious urge to get laid."

"Watch your mouth," Sheila chastised but she was grinning and Bonnie was sure that it would only get worse when she caught the mischievous glint in Emily's eyes.

"That's my cue to leave," Bonnie said, "See you guys later." They said their goodbyes but Bonnie could plainly hear their laughter on the way out the door.

On the way to school Bonnie tried to laugh in the car with Elena. She made jokes about her supposed magical psychic abilities. Snickered at the grandmother's ramblings. However, even as Elena asked for her predictions for the school year Bonnie's mind was elsewhere.

She couldn't help thinking about the guy in her dreams. She felt as if she knew him. Had known him. Had felt his hands on body. Had been kissed by his lips a million times. It made no sense but she felt as if he was hers somehow.

Bonnie went through the motions of as she walked through the halls returning greetings from passersby. She barely registered when Tyler came up to them, grabbing Elena's hands and kissing her friend's lips before greeting Bonnie with his customary, "Sup, Bennett."

"Lockwood," Bonnie greeted as she opened the door to her locker. She still didn't really understand them as a couple sometimes. The best way she could explain it was that Elena was his counterbalance. Where Tyler was all hard edges, bravado and attitude; Elena was all soft curves, doe eyes, and warmth. Bonnie wasn't exactly Tyler's biggest fan but he made her best friend happy.

"Don't look," Elena said, as Bonnie pulled out her history book from her locker, "But Matt is giving you his puppy dog eyes across the hall."

Bonnie sighed as she closed her locker door. She and Matt had dated since freshman year, after Matt had pined over her for almost ten years. To Matt their breakup had been abrupt but for Bonnie it had been a long time coming. She loved him. He was sweet and kind and safe. The thing about it was, while she loved him she wasn't in love with him and wasn't sure she ever had been.

Bonnie had broken up with him at her sister's graduation party telling him that she had needed to be there for Elena after the deaths of her parents and that she needed the space to help her friend mourn. It had been true in a sense. However, once Elena had gotten to the point of moving on with Bonnie and Tyler's help, Matt had expected them to get back together. They hadn't

The dreams had started and Bonnie realized that she had more desire for some guy she had made up than Matt and it became pretty clear that she and Matt were history. While she still wanted to be his friend, she didn't want to lead him on so that left them in a sort of limbo.

"I would tell you to go say hello," Tyler said, "but between me and you, my boy has been moping pretty hard and listening to a lot of Coldplay so you might want to go with the wave."

Bonnie took Tyler's advice and waved at Matt who smiled that smile that Bonnie knew didn't reach his eyes but he waved back and that was progress.

"I'm going to go check on him," Tyler said. He kissed Elena again before walking across the hall and Bonnie watched as they disappeared down the hall.

"He hates me," She said turning towards Elena.

"He misses you," Elena responded, "There's a difference." Elena moved to say more but stopped speaking as Caroline appeared hugging her and asking both she and Bonnie about her state after losing her parents.

The blonde was gone a moment later after reminding them of the upcoming party at The Falls the next day. Bonnie loved Caroline but the blonde always had too much pep in the mornings for anyone's good.

"No comment," Elena mumbled, "Let's go. We're going to be late for class." She began to walk in the direction of their first class.

Bonnie followed behind her friend down the hall, but stopped as they reached the administration office. She felt a sense of déjà vu as she looked at the back of a student signing in at the front desk. "Who's he?"

"All I see is back," Elena laughed.

Bonnie shrugged. "It's a hot back," she joked trying to downplay any reaction that she was having. She recognized him even from behind but she knew that it couldn't be possible. "I'm sensing Seattle," she said, even as she was cataloguing the sound of his voice, "And he plays the guitar."

Elena giggled again. "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?"

Bonnie tore her eyes away from the guy as he turned around. "Scoff all you want, Elena," she grinned, "I have the gift."

Bonnie watched as Elena glanced over her shoulder and frowned. "I'll be right back." She didn't have to look in the direction Elena went to know it was likely Elena's little brother Jeremy that had soured her friend's mood. He had pretty much been on one long bender sense the death of Elena's parents.

"Holler if you need back up," Bonnie said just as the guy left the office and began to walk towards her.

Bonnie froze as he stopped short and took off the sunglasses he was wearing, stuffing them into his jacket pocket. The face that she had long since memorized stared back at her. The lips that she had kissed that morning curved up into a knowing sort of smile. "It's you," she whispered.

His green eyes stayed on her as he walked past and continued on his way down the hallway. She felt a pull at her center that urged her forward to follow him and Bonnie did so without thinking.

She walked down the hall as if in a trance, no caring about the eyes she felt on her. Or rather on him. He was new and hot so of course the other girls that were near were gawking but Bonnie felt the need to stare for a different reason. She felt a need to be near. To touch. To live out the dreams she had been having, history class be damned.

He turned into an empty classroom and Bonnie followed him inside. She closed the door behind her and he turned to face her stopping in front of the desk.

Bonnie glanced around her as if noticing their surroundings for the first time. It was her French teacher Miss Francine's room. The teacher made them call her "Mademoiselle" and kept flowers all over the room that originated from different countries. Emily had always said it reminded her more of a greenhouse than a classroom. The floral scent hit Bonnie hard as she breathed in and out rapidly but she couldn't manage to regain control and calm herself.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she said aloud, "I shouldn't be here." She took a step backwards and turned slightly towards the door.

He stepped forward so quickly to stop her that he nearly knocked off the pot of white orchids on the desk. "Wait," he said, reaching out and touching her arm.

Bonnie frowned and jumped back as she felt something cold and dark, something wrong where he touched her. No not wrong, but off. It passed just as fast as it came but not before she muttered, "What happened to you?" she backpedaled quickly, "I'm sorry," she said, "This is insane…I just…this is going to sound…but I dreamed about you. I mean, I think it was you."

He stepped forward and this time when his hands framed her face she got a sensation of a different sort. Calming. Warmth. Familiarity. Bonnie stepped closer, seeming unable to do anything but. "I think I had the same dream," he said.

"What happened in yours?" Bonnie asked, not quite believing it but feeling it was true at the same time.

His only answers was to kiss her. Hard. Bonnie let herself be lifted up and wrapped her legs around his waist on instinct. It felt both new and familiar at once. The softness of his lips. The warmth of his tongue. The grip of his hands on her thighs.

The sound of the bell brought Bonnie back to her senses. Still she gripped his shoulders and continued to press her lips to his even as she unwrapped her legs from around him and slid down his body.

They were still pressed together when the door the classroom opened. Bonnie only just barely managed to push him away as Caroline Forbes walked in. She looked up into his eyes and could have sworn they were darker. He looked away quickly however, as Caroline spoke. "The one time I decide to come to class on time and I get a free peepshow. _Nice_."

Bonnie flushed as the mystery guy's hands rain down her sides and settled on her waist.

"I'm impressed Bon," Caroline continued, "You work fast. And with the new guy. I didn't think you had it in you."

Bonnie shook her head to clear it and stepped away. "I have to go," she said, "I'm going to be late for class."

Bonnie moved to make a run for it but stopped as his hand caught her arm again. "Wait," he said, "I'll walk you."

"You're new," Bonnie said without looking at him, "You don't even know where any of the classrooms are."

She really wanted to run. She didn't do this kind of thing. It had taken her a while to come up with the courage to kiss Matt and she had known him all her life. They had only slept together a few times and they had dated for two years. She had dreamed of this guy a few days and met him a matter of minutes ago and she's kissed him already.

"Then you can walk me." He persisted.

She wanted to say no. She wanted to hind in the bathroom and process. Bonnie looked at Caroline and her friend nodded eagerly, mouthing, " _He's hot. Go!_ "

Bonnie was still ready to decline but as other people began to come into the room, she nodded in agreement. She grabbed his hand before anyone else could figure out what they'd been doing and pulled him out of the room.

She heard someone speak as she passed. "I though the orchids Miss Francine had were white. When did she get the red ones?"

"Who cares?" Someone else answered.

Bonnie glanced backwards and sure enough the white flowers had turned red. She frowned. Something was definitely off.

"This is insane," she muttered as she continued to walk pulling the stranger along behind her, "I don't even know your name."

"Stefan," he said, stopping in the middle of hallway, "Stefan Salvatore."

Bonnie turned around slowly even though she felt like it was a little late to make introductions. "Bonnie Bennett." The bell rang again and Bonnie frowned. She was sure that Mr. Tanner would make an example of her since she was late. "And I'm late for History."

"Me too," Stefan responded, "I'm late I mean and I have History."

Bonnie nodded letting go of his hand and began to wring her hands together, realizing too late that she had dropped her History book in the classroom they had just vacated. She gave up on retrieving it until later and began to walk to class. "It's this way," she said.

Stefan walked close beside her, their sides touching. Bonnie knew that she should feel bothered by this but she didn't. She felt as if he belonged there. At her side.

She felt eyes on her as she entered the classroom and took her customary seat across from Elena. Matt sat behind her and Stefan sat next to her on the other side.

Bonnie tried to focus as Tanner began his lecture. She knew that he would ask something that would make her look stupid or try to trip her up somehow. She couldn't pay attention, however. Not with Matt's eyes boring into her back and her body still feeling overheated at Stefan's presence. Still she stared straight ahead and pretended to be focused on the lecture.

Bonnie's phone buzzed and as she read Elena's text she glanced over at Stefan to find he was in fact staring at her. As he smiled in her direction Bonnie didn't have to be psychic to know that she was in trouble.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Stefan Salvatore descended the steps of his plantation home as the carriage carrying their guest arrived. He was meant to greet Katherine Pierce and escort her to her quarters. He was however, in no mood to do so. He had slept but he had not been sleeping well.

He had been plagued by dreams of a beauty that seemed to possess some kind of magic. An enchantress. A colored girl. The dreams had been innocent at first but then became anything but proper. He often awoke covered in sweat and filled with burning urges that would likely shame his father were he to ever find out.

Stefan's only saving grace was that the girl did not exist. She was some figment of his imagination. Some apparition that could turn fire into water, make dead flowers bloom, and ignite something within Stefan that was so deep and confusing it unnerved him more than anything ever had aside from his mother's death.

He was distracted as he walked down the steps and waited as the carriage stopped in front the house.

The dreams made no sense he knew. Even if the girl were real. He could never have her. There were too many rules in place stating otherwise. He would have a proper match of his father's choosing that would be advantageous for the family when the time came. The girl in his dreams would hopefully leave his mind before then.

Stefan watched as the coachman opened the door and let out a colored girl in a wide brimmed pink hat that obscured her face and then she reached out a hand to help out who he was sure was Katherine Pierce. She was as lovely as many had professed but Stefan sensed a cunning in her smile and her seemingly guileless brown gaze.

He folded his hands behind his back as he approached her. "You must be Miss Pierce," he intoned.

She held out a hand for him to take and her smile grew. "Please, call me Katherine."

He glanced at the girl beside her in the pink brim hat and noticed that she rivaled her mistress in beauty. Something that he might not have admitted even to himself, if he hadn't been having such strange dreams as of late.

In different parts of the South and in Virginia he had heard tales of mixed race couples that occurred both by consent and through force. The rapes on the plantations. The plaçage arrangements in New Orleans. The clandestine affairs that kept going even through marriages. Nothing that sounded appealing to Stefan or would be talked about in polite society. Love that had to be hidden or forced had never been something he had wanted.

He had only heard of a few times of whites falling in love with blacks and being able to live out in the open. Real love. Love like the kind that he read about in the romance novels he hid under his pillow so his brother wouldn't find them. Love like the kind that had people running and eloping overseas in France or escaping to be free in Canada, where they could live in the open and the rules of the South and the laws of the North didn't matter. The kind that Stefan doubted could exist for him and might have even dared to hope for were the girl in his dreams real.

"And which Mr. Salvatore might you be?" Katherine asked, regaining his attention, though only momentarily.

"Stefan," he replied just as he heard more movement coming from the carriage.

Dropping Katherine's hand Stefan looked toward the carriage as another girl was helped out by the coachman. Her head was down so he could only see the top of her blue hat as she sorted out her skirts when her feet hit the ground.

When she looked up, Stefan froze. He felt himself stop breathing as he met a familiar pair of green eyes and the same exotic gorgeous face that had haunted him every time he closed his eyes. She looked equally as taken aback as he and she reached out a hand towards the other colored girl who grabbed it and pulled her into her side while eyeing Stefan warily.

Noticing where his attention now lied Katherine introduced them. "These are former slaves of mine that I have freed but kept under my employ," she gestured towards the one in the pink hat, "Emily and her sister Bonnie." She settled on the one in the blue hat. The girl of his dreams.

"Bonnie." He repeated the name and he swore it tasted sweet on his tongue. "I mean…It's a pleasure to meet you both, Emily and _Bonnie_."

The girl gave a full body shudder as he said her name again. The wind began to pick up suddenly, blowing the ladies hats off and sending Emily and Katherine chasing after them.

Bonnie, Stefan noted, stood still as hers flew off and the coachman went to catch it. Bonnie's eyes stayed locked with his and Stefan had to look away for fear of doing something stupid like acting out one of his dreams.

He looked around to the front of the house as he heard his father's footsteps. Stefan watched as the rose bushes his mother had planted in the front yard that had seemed to be bare since she died begin to bloom around them.

Stefan gasped and turned back to Bonnie only to find Emily grabbing her by the shoulders and whispering into her ear. The wind stopped and Bonnie's head snapped down.

As his father came out of join them the roses erupted, bursting into a pile of petals before dissolving as if they had never been there at all.

Stefan felt like he was still dreaming, his feet staying rooted to the spot long after his father led the women inside.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

Stefan Salvatore sat behind the desk at his study. He had already messaged Damon that they had been right. They had found Bonnie and Emily again, this time back where it all started. Back in Mystic Falls.

He had wanted to start with a softer approach. He knew that she wouldn't remember him. That though she had been reborn thanks to the curse on her mother, Abby Bennett's head, that each life they had was different. They came back a little different each time. Always they died young. That was what Bonnie had told him before, when they had first met and fallen in love.

He knew that things would be better if he didn't push. However, he had always been unable to control himself around Bonnie. He hadn't been able to resist her before and couldn't resist now. Emily had had a similar effect on Damon, so he knew his brother would understand. Still, he was sure he'd scared her off.

Bonnie had avoided him the rest of the day at school. He'd made sure that they'd had classes together but she had been on edge since their meeting and understandably so.

He wanted to try again. To fix things. Go at whatever pace she wanted. Let her take the lead. So he dodged Zach's questions about his return and he drove over to where he had overheard the girl who looked alarmingly like Katherine say, that they were meeting up to hangout after school, Mystic Grill.

Stefan hadn't been too surprised to see Elena. While the Bennett's had curses on their heads, Katherine's family was associated with a curse of their own that Bonnie had spoken of in veiled terms before. Stefan didn't care about that however. He hadn't come back for anyone or anything but Bonnie.

When Stefan reached Mystic Grill he stood near the doorway. He could hear Bonnie speaking to the blonde girl who had caught them in the classroom earlier that day.

Stefan could still taste Bonnie in his mouth. He had missed that taste. Her scent was the same, sweet and floral. His not being human meant he felt more, sensed more. Being with her, kissing her, had been even better than he'd remembered.

Stefan smirked at the fact that he was the topic of their conversation. "Here's the rundown," the blonde was saying, "His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives at the old Salvatore Boardinghouse with his uncle. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini and his favorite color is blue."

Bonnie stared at the girl. "You got all that in one day."

"Oh please," the blonde laughed, "I got all of that between third and fourth period. I'm planning you a June wedding."

Stefan laughed as he could practically hear Bonnie's eye roll in her voice as she spoke. "Caroline I told you. It was a fluke. A random messy hookup that'll never happen again. He's probably forgotten all about it."

Stefan knew the tone well. She was trying to talk down things. Giver whatever she was feeling a low profile. He knew her well enough, even without knowing this her, to know that she was lying.

"Come on Bonnie," Caroline replied, "I am not buying that for a second. You of all people wouldn't have been all over him like that if it was just a fluke and from the way I heard he was staring at you all day I doubt he forgot."

Stefan walked more fully into the restaurant and made himself known as he approached their table. He glanced around and noted that Matt, this Bonnie's ex-boyfriend, was across the room playing pool with Tyler Lockwood while Elena watched. All of their eyes were on him as he approached Bonnie's table and the game was forgotten. Stefan didn't mind the audience. Matt and whoever else needed to know who Bonnie belonged to, even if he was planning on softening his approach he wanted to make his intentions clear.

Stefan turned back to Bonnie and smiled as she looked up at him from where she was sitting across from Caroline. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she responded and then, "I'm sorry for earlier. I don't normally do things like that."

"You don't have to be sorry," Stefan told her, seriously, "I'm not. Unless…you regret it." Stefan smiled when she shook her head. "Good," he said, and then, "Can I sit."

Bonnie opened her mouth but Caroline talked over her. "Of course you can."

Stefan took the seat next to Bonnie and sat down close to her. He stared at her openly as Caroline began to ask him questions. He nodded briefly in acknowledgement as Elena came to join them. His eyes rarely left Bonnie however, he wanted to let it be known where his interest was.

"So Stefan," Caroline said, "Since you're new you don't know about the party tomorrow night at The Falls."

"It's not that big of deal," Bonnie stated, "Just a back to school thing."

"Are you going?" Stefan asked.

"Of course she is," Caroline said before Bonnie could answer.

Stefan reached underneath the table and brush his hand against Bonnie's gently smiling as she blushed, "Then I'll be there."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Bonnie Bennett walked down the steps of the Salvatore Plantation House arm in arm with her sister Emily. They made it to the bottom in time to see Katherine Pierce run off with ball that the Salvatore brother's had been tossing, laughter on her lips.

Bonnie glanced sideways at her sister before rolling her eyes and she returned Emily's grin as it formed. She wasn't surprised when Damon ran after Katherine after declaring she wanted to be chased.

"He's right you know," she said, as she and Emily stopped as they approached Stefan, "She does love the chase. She gets bored with being the prey once she gets caught though. Then she becomes the predator and she really starts to have fun. You and your brother should be careful."

The youngest Salvatore turned to her and looked at her in surprise, his eyes wide. "If she likes the chase," Stefan smirked, "I suppose that you like speaking out of turn."

Bonnie raised a brow in challenge, before letting go of Emily's arm. She approached Stefan slowly, stopping almost close enough for their bodies to touch. Stefan looked even more alarmed but said nothing. "You know that whole 'no rules' philosophy Katherine has," she whispered, "She got the tidbit from me. We make our own rules, while pretending to play by other's rules. Someone as reserved as you should probably take notes. Especially if you want to pursue the likes of Katherine."

Stefan gave her an once over before saying, "One moment, Miss Bennett."

Bonnie expected some look of appall and perhaps some correction for not using an honorific with Katherine's name or more chastising for speaking out of turn. She didn't expect the look or awe in his eyes. She didn't expect him to walk away either. She blinked as he walked around them and back towards the house.

Her sister stepped up and hissed into her ear. "You should not tease him in such a way. Just because Katherine has ensured we have our freedom papers does not mean they cannot punish us for less if the mood suits them. You need not be so reckless."

Before Bonnie could reply Stefan was returning, walking around them once more with one hand behind his back. Bonnie became momentarily nervous about what the unseen hand was hiding but she stood her ground. She hated having to be subservient with all the power they possessed and she sensed Stefan wasn't going to hurt her.

Something in his tone had been teasing her in turn and whether he liked it or not her warning had been sound. She had been trying to protect him in a way. There was something about him that she liked, something that drew her to him even with the underlying arrogance he had inherited from his father. Emily sensed that his heart was pure but Bonnie felt something different from him, something that made her nerves stand on end and her insides feel as if they were on fire.

Stefan surprised Bonnie then by smiling and moving in closer to her even than she had moved into him, their bodies brushing together. He reached out of tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not as naïve as I look," Stefan said, "I recognize someone who plays games when I see them. Besides that, it's not Miss Pierce that I'm interested in pursuing."

Bonnie inhaled as he pulled a white rose, that had once again bloomed on the bushes around the front yard from behind his back and placed it into her hand just as Katherine and Damon reappeared, Katherine laughing and Damon looking annoyed. "Now who is speaking out of turn, Mr. Salvatore," Bonnie whispered as the two approached.

"No rules, right? None except the ones we make." Stefan said into her ear, his lips brushing the shell before taking a step back to leave himself at a more respectable distance.

Bonnie nodded, her eyes locking onto his green gaze, not noticing as the white rose in her hand slowly began to turn red. Emily did however, snatching it quickly from her hand and clearing her throat as Katherine and Damon stopped in front of them.

"Hello, Emily," Damon smiled, nodding and the witch and ignoring Katherine's attempts to get his attention as she held out the ball in his direction. "I've been meaning to thank you for your work in our gardens in the maze out back. The flowers haven't bloomed quite so well sense the passing of our mother. When you said that you could tend to them during your time here you neglected to tell me how very gifted you were."

Bonnie noted her sister's blush in spite of her stiff demeanor. "Thank you, Mr. Salvatore." Emily quickly turned to Katherine whose face had gone from beaming to unexpressive rather quickly. "Miss Katherine we have business with Miss Pearl today. We must be going."

"Of course," Katherine nodded. She moved to say goodbye to the Salvatore brother's and then huffed when neither of them were looking in their direction.

Bonnie laced her arm through Emily's again and nodded at each Salvatore in turn, though her eyes lingered on Stefan. "Right," she said, "Let's be off then. Leave the boys to play with their balls."

Damon chuckled as Emily elbowed Bonnie in the side and Stefan grinned.

"We'll just take our leave then," Emily told them, moving to walk around them. She paused as Katherine moved to stand in between the two sister's and they reluctantly parted to allow Katherine some space in the middle as she linked arms with both witches. "We'll be sure to give your regards to Miss Pearl. Stefan. Damon."

Stefan moved to block their path standing in front of Bonnie. "It was lovely seeing you, Bonnie," he said, "Thank you for the advice. I'll be sure that my brother and I take it. Though, a portion of it may have been unneeded."

"My pleasure, Mr. Salvatore," Bonnie replied. She moved to speak again but Katherine cleared her throat and gave her a pointed look. Sighing Bonnie nodded and her mouth shut.

Damon nodded in the direction of each woman as they began to move around him and his brother, his gaze settling on Emily. "Emily."

"Mr. Salvatore."

The sister's steered Katherine around the brothers and they began to walk in the direction of the waiting carriage.

"Did you really have to steal another one from me," Katherine, whined in Bonnie's direction and then turned to glare at Emily, "The both of you without even trying."

Bonnie sighed. "For the last time we don't remember doing it the first time," she frowned, "That was a different life remember. Different men. Different circumstances. Given the fact the one I supposedly stole before tried to kill you, which is the very reason you're alive to meet our incarnations now, you would think you would be grateful you were not the one sleeping with him before you had to get yourself turned into a vampire just to escape his evil wrath."

"That was before," Katherine complained, "This is now. These two were going to be enjoyable. I had plans."

"I'm sure you did," Emily laughed. "However, we cannot allow you to have all of the fun. Besides, Stefan and Damon would be off limits either way. I have my own plans for the elder and the younger, Bonnie has been dreaming about him since before we arrived."

"You mean?" Katherine asked.

Bonnie nodded. "I believe so."

Katherine smiled a bit resignedly before squeezing Bonnie's arm. "I suppose I'll just have to find a new toy elsewhere then. The Founder's Ball is coming up soon and the Lockwood's are rather wealthy. Perhaps there'll be some prospects there."

The three separated as they entered the carriage one at a time, Katherine sitting across from the two sisters. Bonnie took the window seat on one side and Emily gently placed the rose that Stefan had given her back into her hand.

Bonnie looked down at the red color of the rose and then glanced back at her sister. "Passion, desire, fire and love."

Emily nodded. "But it could also mean…." She hesitated.

Katherine, never one to hold back, filled in what Emily could not bring herself to say. "Blood, danger and death."

Bonnie looked out of the carriage window to find Stefan gazing back at her. She wondered which of the fates that she would face.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

"So your dream guy started at your school yesterday and you made out with him in an empty classroom and now you're getting ready to go to a party where he'll likely be attending," Emily said as she lounged on Bonnie's bed. "Your school year is definitely starting out better than mine."

Bonnie ignored her as she smoothed her hand over her top. The skirt she was wearing was a little short but she was sure the tights underneath would help to stave off the night air. "You don't think it's weird that this guy I've been dreaming about just pops up out of nowhere," she frowned, "Or that the mug I was drinking out of this morning spontaneously combusted when I was thinking about him. Or that the flowers on Miss Francine's desk changed colors or-"

Emily stood from the bed and walked across the room, placing her hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "I think you're stressing out about the new school year and you're nervous because this is the first guy you've liked since Matt," she said, "As for the rest, if you want to talk witch theory then you need to talk to Grams."

Bonnie knew that it was impossible but everything that was happening was too much to be a coincidence. "What if she's right?" she said, "What if we're really witches?"

"Then we'll give her back the key to the liquor cabinet and call it even," Emily shrugged.

Bonnie glared. "I'm serious, Emily," she said, "Even if it's not the whole witch thing, something is going on. All these animal attacks around town. These weird symbols popping up in different places. Grams shoving this witch stuff down our throats."

The news that morning had broadcasted another round of suspicious deaths just as it had the day before and Bonnie wasn't sure what that she was too excited to go to some party in the middle of the wilderness after dark for that reason. Everyone said that they were animal attacks but she wasn't so sure. Some of the bodies had been found near odd symbols of something that looked like an eye to most. A part of Bonnie had wanted to investigate the symbol in one of her grandmother's occult books but she was afraid of what she would find. Besides that she had enough to worry about, she would leave the death investigations to Caroline's mother.

"If something is going on," Emily ventured, "It's not as if you're going to figure it out tonight. So go to this party. Have fun and try not to think too much."

Bonnie tried to take her sister's advice as she made the drive over to The Falls.

By the time she arrived, the party was well underway. Stefan Salvatore was nowhere in sight and Bonnie wasn't sure if she should be disappointed or relieved.

She had managed to have a few drinks with Elena before her friend brought him up. "So do you think he'll show?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know," Bonnie replied, "I don't know if I want him to. I just…he makes me feel all these things. When he looks at me it's with this romance novel stare and I melt."

"So what's the problem?" Elena asked.

"I've never felt anything like this before and I don't know what to do about it."

"You don't have to know Bonnie," Elena smiled, "Just go with it and see what happens. Not knowing is a part of what makes it all exciting."

Bonnie was about to respond when she realized that Elena was looking over her shoulder at something or rather someone. Bonnie turned and wasn't all that shocked to see Stefan standing behind her. "Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hi," he smiled back and when he reached out his hand Bonnie took it, "I'm here."

"You're here," Bonnie nodded. She glanced back at Elena who nodded encouragingly. Her gaze refocused on Stefan as she spoke again, "How about I show you the falls?"

"I'd like that."

They walked hand in and hand through the crowd. Bonnie felt like she should be more nervous, but instead it just felt natural. Natural being near him. Holding his hand. The sound of his voice as they talked quietly about nothing in particular.

When they made it to the bridge over the falls Bonnie had let it slip that her Grams believed that they were witches. "Our family came here by way of Salem, according to her," Bonnie said, "I don't necessarily believe the witch stuff but it's more interesting then telling people that my parents are divorced, I don't remember my mom and I live with my dad who's out of town more often than in. My sister's a skeptic but now that you're here I'm not so sure."

Stefan stopped walking and Bonnie did the same. They were at the center of the bridge and Bonnie half expected him to call her crazy and walk off the other side. "I happen to think that everything about you is interesting," he said, instead, "As for the witch stuff, I'm not that well versed but I believe that Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and non-conformity. They made their own rules in society where anyone who didn't follow the rules was persecuted. That's like the definition of brave and badass."

Bonnie laughed but she felt something warm stir inside of her. Most people brushed her Grams words off as the ramblings of a mad woman. Even she did. It felt nice to have someone say something good and complementary about it for once. "You're right," she said, "Thank you."

"No problem," he said, "What I want to know is…what about me being here makes you want to believe what your grandmother says is true?"

Bonnie leaned against the railing of the bridge. She looked up at the stringed lights. She looked across at her friends on the other side watching them. Met Matt's pressing gaze and sighed. She felt like this would be a bad idea but she knew she was going to do it anyway. "I wasn't lying when I said I dreamed about you before you got here."

"Neither was I," Stefan said leaning against the railing beside her.

"You popping up out of nowhere all hot and mysterious seems like a little more than a coincidence don't you think?" Bonnie pressed, "It's like I conjured you up out of my head or something. Or I _am_ actually psychic. I can't really think of any other explanation."

"You think I'm hot?" Stefan asked and then laughed when she playfully nudged his shoulder. "I think you're hot too. Making out with you the first day we met probably made that a bit obvious." He leaned closer to her and relished in the blush on her cheeks. "I think that there are some people that are just destined to find each other. Though, in our case I don't think your friend Matt seems to think so. He can't take his eyes off us. Or you rather."

Bonnie sighed looking back towards where Matt and the others were watching. "Matt and I were friends for a long time," Bonnie explained, "We wanted to see if we could be more and it worked in a way. He was sweet and kind. He likes to take care of things. People. I mean Vicki can attest to that. And I love him…I do but….Matt and I…our relationship just wasn't…" Bonnie stood up straight struggling to find the words.

"Passionate?" Stefan suggested.

"Right," Bonnie nodded, "It wasn't passionate." As Stefan turned his full body towards her Bonnie noticed his eyes changing, just as she had before the first time they kissed. They darkened but before Bonnie could notice anything else Stefan was kissing her again.

Bonnie kissed back even knowing that her friends were watching. Her body felt like she was on fire. Like there was a surge of electricity running through her veins. As if on cue the light bulbs on the string lights above them began to burst and Bonnie jumped away from Stefan who pulled her into his body to shield her away from the shattered glass as it fell.

Sparks flew through the air and all Bonnie could manage to say was, "Wow," as she looked up at him.

"Yeah," he responded.

He moved in to kiss her again but stopped as they heard a scream coming from the woods. Bonnie turned and watched in horror as Jeremy ran out of the woods with Vicki Donovan's prone body in his arms screaming for help.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Stefan watched through the door as Bonnie placed log halves into Katherine's fireplace. It wasn't often that he caught her alone. He wanted to speak to her but he didn't know what to say. She put him on edge and every time he was near her he felt out of control.

Stefan's gaze followed her as she knelt before the fireplace. He waited for her to pick up the matches on the mantle but instead she reached her hand inside of the fire place and mumbled something he couldn't quite make out. His eyes widened as the logs ignited and without meaning to he pushed inside of the room.

"How did you do that?" he demanded. He thought about his dreams. About the flowers blooming of their own volition upon her arrival. "What are you?"

She stood upright and she opened her mouth to answer, or likely make an excuse before she seemed to think better of it. "Please come inside and close the door."

Stefan did as he was instructed and came in more fully shutting the door behind him. He waited for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke. "Are you afraid?" she asked. He shook his head. He was stunned. In awe. Confused. But there was no fear. "Good. I mean you no harm." She looked down and then back up again. "I need to swear you to secrecy before I can say any more."

Stefan crossed the room quickly and took her hands in his. "I know we haven't known each other long," he said, "But I would never do anything to hurt you. You can trust me Bonnie. I swear it."

Bonnie searched his face a long time before she was satisfied enough with what she saw in his eyes to continue. "I'm a witch," she revealed, "Emily is as well. I believe…I'm not sure but I believe your brother already knows."

Stefan blinked as things became more confusing and made more sense all at once. "What I feel for you..." he began, "Is it because of whatever powers you have?"

"No," Bonnie said, seriously, "We can do a lot of things but we can't do that."

"Good," Stefan said, "I couldn't take it if it were. I…" He wasn't sure how to continue. She must have known he felt something. He knew it wasn't one sided. They had never spoke of it however, not outright. It was just something that seemed to linger in the air. "Even before you came here I dreamed of you and I knew the day we met that I would never meet another woman like you. I look at you and I never want to look away. I touch you and my whole body ignites. Whatever you are I don't care. You were meant for me. I can _feel_ that like nothing else I've ever felt before. I know that I'm falling in love and nothing can change that."

Their first kiss afterwards made the flames in the fireplace erupt so high that Katherine's room was no longer inhabitable once Bonnie got control of herself enough to put them out.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present**_

Stefan felt his brother's presence even before he saw him standing on his balcony. After fifteen years of separation, his brother looked much the same. Stefan had expected him much sooner but he knew that Damon worked on his own time, even where Emily was concerned.

"What took you so long?" Stefan asked as Damon walked around his room.

"Had to look into a few things," Damon replied, "Tie up some loose ends. Have you seen her yet? Your precious little Bonbon?"

Stefan nodded. He smiled that same sappy little smile Damon had become all too familiar with in 1864. "I saw her. She's the same but different. This time she let me in quicker," he told his brother, "She could sense what we are but for some reason she wasn't afraid. It was like whatever she was feeling for me trumped whatever instinct she had had to be wary of what we are now. We kissed. Twice."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Never could quite control yourself around each other. Always causing trouble. You two always were ridiculously soft and romantic. Even when you couldn't keep your hands off of each other," he said, "I'm going to see Emily tonight. She works the graveyard shift at Mystic Grill."

Stefan saw the hardness Damon had developed over decades seem to soften as he thought about Emily. Damon was volatile as a vampire at the best of times, dangerous at the worse. He was more polite and innocent as a human in some ways but just as restless and reckless. Like before, even the thought of Emily seemed to ground him. "You nervous?" Stefan asked.

"Never," Damon smirked. Stefan frowned as his brother's eyes became serious. "Can I ask you something? When's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

" _Damon_ ," Stefan said, his tone warning, "I know what you're trying to do but-"

"You know you're not as strong off human blood," Damon cut him off, "Whatever came for our girls, whatever they were running from before, it's still out there. If we want to keep them alive this go round we have to be at our full strength. If you're afraid of going on a binge then suck it up and learn to control yourself. If not for me, then do it for Bonnie."

Stefan looked away but nodded. "Everything I do is for Bonnie. Everything I've gone through up until now has been to lead me back to her."

Damon reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Then prove it," Damon hissed, "We both know something is out there killing people. Making it look like us. We know what happens when small town people get scared Stefan. We lived it. They'll hunt us down just like they did Katherine. Then not long afterwards-"

" _Damon_ ," Stefan said his tone warning.

"They'll come for the witches next and we'll have to watch them burn all over again," Damon spat, ignoring the lethal glint in Stefan's eye, "It's a set up. Just like before. I don't know about you, brother, but I don't plan on letting Emily go again. So whatever it is we're fighting we need to make sure we're ready."

Stefan knew that he was right. "There was a girl attacked tonight," Stefan said, "I left the crowd when they were taking her away in the ambulance. I wanted to make sure it wasn't another vampire in town. There was a symbol carved into a tree nearby, like the one we saw carved into Emily's door the night that she and Bonnie were taken."

"Looks kind of like an eye?" Damon asked.

Stefan nodded.

Damon frowned looking thoughtful. "It's here and this is only the beginning. I'm working on a way to get Emily's back. This town erased all of their heritage and I'll be damned if I let them steal it and put it on display at their next Founder's party. Do you still have Bonnie's talisman?"

Again Stefan nodded. He'd found it in the twenties. It was how they'd known that Katherine had in fact been telling the truth. By the time Stefan had found it, Bonnie had already been dead in that time. There was so much about the twenties Stefan didn't remember and he wondered how many lives they had missed that Bonnie and Emily had lived between now and the 1860's.

"Figure out a way to give it to her. She's going to need it," Damon said interrupting his thoughts, "I'm going to see Emily. Introduce myself. Put on the charm."

"Be careful Damon," Stefan said, "They don't know what they are this time. Sheila has been trying to tell them but they haven't been listening. We'll talk later about changing my diet."

"Glad to see you're on board, brother," he said, "I'll see you soon."

Stefan watched Damon leave and waited only a moment after he was gone to follow and speed towards Bonnie's home. She'd said that they normally spent their time split between the house they shared with their father and the house they shared with Sheila. If Emily was working and their father was away on business that meant that Bonnie would be alone in the house. Stefan didn't like the idea. Especially with whatever was out there lurking about.

Before, in the past, Bonnie had been sure it was another witch. Emily hadn't been completely sold on the idea as witches were meant to keep the balance and were loyal to one another. However, Bonnie had known that wasn't always the case and their mother had at the time been gone investigating much in the same way Stefan was sure she was now in this time. She had come home to find both of her daughters dead, burned to ashes while Stefan and Damon had been transitioning.

Stefan had never forgiven himself for not being there. Not protecting them. They had tried to break them out and ended up shot for their trouble and sometime between them lying dead and waking up undead the woman he loved and had agreed to be turned for had been killed. However, as Katherine had promised Bonnie and Emily had returned to them. This time would be different. Stefan would make sure of it.

Stefan ascended the steps to Bonnie's home and she opened the door before he could knock. She leaned against the doorframe in a tank top and a pair of pajama pants. Her hair was tied up and Stefan was sure she was more beautiful than he remembered.

"I know it's late," Stefan said, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm more worried about Vicki Donovan," Bonnie replied, "I couldn't even comfort Matt. Our friendship is in a weird space and that's on me. I can't believe that people are being attacked. I feel so helpless. My sister went to work and I didn't want her to leave."

"You sound like you're afraid," Stefan frowned, "Why not go to your grandmother's?"

"She's been talking a lot about witchcraft and Salem and I knew she would have some cosmic explanation for all of this. I kind of just wanted to be alone." Stefan moved to make his excuses and leave but Bonnie reached out and caught his arm. "Until I saw you that is. Did you want to come inside?"

Smiling Stefan allowed himself to be pulled forward. He wanted to be with her. Be near her. See for himself that she was alright. Make sure she was safe. They would worry about the rest another day. Tonight he just wanted to be close. To feel alive again. "I'd love to."


	2. Part Two: Comet

**Title:** The Witches of Mystic Falls

 **Pairing(s):** Bonnie/Stefan, Emily/Damon, Tyler/Elena, Matt/Katherine, Caroline/Jeremy, Bonnie/Klaus, Emily/Elijah, etc.

 **Summary:** When Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to Mystic Falls to find the two witches that they fell in love with in 1864, Sheila Bennett must reveal to her granddaughters, Bonnie and Emily Bennett that they are immortal witches with untapped powers, a revelation that turns their small-town life upside _Series Rewrite inspired by Witches of East End_ **.**

 **Warnings:** Character Death, Violence, Infidelity, Sexual Content, Non-Canon, etc.

 _ **Author's Note: No editing here so sorry for any errors. Got a lot of my plate at the moment and my brother's girlfriend is in labor so I am waiting on news! Hope you all enjoy the update! Thank for the love in the reviews!**_

 **Part Two || Comet**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

Emily Bennett wiped down the bar top as the customer she had been waiting on left for a table in the corner. It was quiet. Working the graveyard shift usually meant as much. For the most part she was just there to do her homework and make sure that the place didn't get robbed before it closed.

She'd spent most of the day on campus but almost as soon as she came back into town she had been haunted by strange occurrences. There was the crow that seemed to be following her around. Then there was the ever present fog. She had been stuck in traffic on the way home had simply said aloud, "I wish this light would turn green," and it had. She thought it was a fluke but then it worked on the next one and the one after that. As skeptical as Emily was, she couldn't hide that there was something going on and likely more to her grandmother's ramblings than she realized.

Emily hadn't wanted to tell Bonnie. She didn't want her sister to worry. Bonnie had as a child claimed to see her mother commit strange acts. It had often caused fights between Rudy and Abby and Bonnie had always blamed herself for the divorce and their mother leaving. Emily didn't want her sister to go through that kind of pain again if what was happening didn't mean what they thought it meant.

"Please tell me you have some good bourbon behind that bar," A deep voice said from behind her.

Emily stopped her task and turned toward the sound. She couldn't hold back the smirk as she watched the man with blue eyes, dark hair and a devilish smile sit across from her at the bar. She touched her hair subconsciously making sure that no stray strands had left her bun. "Depends on who's asking," she replied, even as she felt something about the man draw her in.

"Damon Salvatore," he introduced himself, "And I happen to be a big tipper."

"Emily Bennett and I happen to be unimpressed by flash and cash. I might be a broke college student but I'm not easy and I can't be bought," she said, "I can do you one better than a bourbon though."

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," Emily replied, "If you want to give me a big tip, I at least want to earn it. My cocktails are legendary and you sir, look like you're in the mood to taste something _epic_."

"You're looking pretty epic yourself," he replied, "Is that an invitation."

"Not by a long shot." Emily laughed as she began to mix equal parts Grand Marnier and Drambuie. "For future reference flattery will get you nowhere," she said. She eyed the bottle of 151 but thought better of it and picked up a bottle of Sambuca instead.

"Interesting choice," Damon said. He was eyeing her oddly and Emily almost second guessed herself with was strange. She never second guessed herself.

"Well," Emily said, topping it off, "With a name like Salvatore I thought that you'd appreciate it if I went with something Italian. I'm trying to earn that tip remember?"

Emily looked up as Damon suddenly leaned over the bar. She eyed him warily as he placed a hand over hers. His skin was cool to the touch but she felt a heat where their skin made contact. There was something eerily familiar about it. His hand over hers.

"It's anise flavored, you know," he said, "Elderberry in it too. I knew a girl once….no a woman. She smelled like elderberry. Floral. Like summer. Her mouth tasted like anise. Sweet. One of those tastes you either love or you hate. I loved it. Couldn't get enough. Now every time I taste it I think about her lips."

"I've always favored anise myself. Took all my sister's black licorice on Halloween as a kid." Emily felt a tingling sensation where their hands touched. "That woman you knew before she must have been special it's definitely an acquired taste," she commented.

"You have no idea," Damon replied.

Emily blinked a few times and when she looked down it was to see that the mixture was now on fire. While she had intended on lighting it as that was what the preparation called for she didn't remember doing so.

"A Backdraft, right?" He asked. Emily looked up at him again, becoming distracted as he began to run his fingers over the top of her hand. "I'm assuming that's why you lit it on fire."

He was right and so Emily nodded.

"I can't say that I've ever seen one light up without a match or a lighter before," Damon said, "When you said legendary you weren't lying."

"I..," for once Emily was at a loss for words. She looked down and noticed the flames had gone higher. She felt herself begin to panic and as suddenly as the flames appeared they extinguished. "You must be mistaken. Of course I used a match. I'm just quick with my hands."

Damon only smiled as Emily handed him straw and pushed the drink towards him.

Emily tried not to think about the fact that she had lit something on fire with a simple thought as she watched him drink. Instead she ended up watching his lips as they wrapped around the straw and his throat as he swallowed.

"Tastes just like I remembered," Damon grinned. "Anise and fire." He licked his lips and Emily watched the movement of his tongue. "How much do I owe you?" he asked.

Emily gave him his total and she found that she was disappointed as he stood to leave. She watched as he took several bills out of his wallet and slid them across the counter. She frowned at the amount. "You weren't lying about the whole big tipper thing," she laughed, "I can't take this."

"You brought back some good memories for me," Damon shrugged, "I owe you more than you think."

Emily pulled a pen out of her apron and began to write on one of the bills. "Find some other way to pay me back then," She said, sliding the bill back across the counter after writing her number on the surface.

"That can be arranged," Damon grinned, "What form of currency do broke college girls that can't be bought accept?"

Emily put the rest of the bills in the pocket of her apron. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Mr. Big Tipper. Use your imagination. When you think of something give me a call. Not before. I don't like my time wasted."

Emily walked down the counter to the customer who sat down at the other end of the bar. She thought she heard Damon say, "Some things never change."

Emily turned to ask him what he meant but when she turned around he was gone.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Damon Salvatore walked into his kitchen in search of the source of the strange smells wafting out of it. His father was out on town council business and so they had free reign over the house for the moment. As he opened the door Damon's first view was of Emily. She was standing at the table at the center of the kitchen grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. There were draw string leather bags of them that she had gotten from the apothecary lined across the table's surface. She emptied each bag into the mortar and then grind them up before dumping them back into the back and handing them off to Bonnie.

Across the room Bonnie was seated at the kitchen table, funneling herbs and spices into bottles before corking them. He had seen them complete the task before and had wondered at it before discovering what it was they were. Since discovering their secret his brother had been recruited to help, writing labels that he glued to the bottles.

Damon walked further into the kitchen and watched his brother and Bonnie for a moment. It was always amusing to do so. It was strange that in temperament Bonnie was more like Damon and Emily was more like Stefan. Stefan and Emily were for the most part very buttoned up and reserved. Even now Emily's hair was pinned up tight and her demeanor was stiff and concentrated as she worked.

Whereas Bonnie was wearing her hair half up and half down, some of it tied up loosely with a ribbon while the rest spilled down her back. She was less poised as she funneled in the herbs, some of them spilling over the edges of the bottle and landing on the table. When they did she would brush her fingers through it and wipe them across Stefan's face giggling softly when he scowled.

The sister's contrasted each other in the same way he and Stefan did. Stefan's touch was gentle and his eyes were focused in spite of Bonnie's attempts to distract him, taking the task very seriously as he made sure each label was glued on straight and each one was written in neat script, even going as far as to throw away the ones with the slightest ink smear.

Damon on the other hand had not been asked to assist again since the first time because he'd been too heavy handed with the pestle and he had ended up knocking bags off the table in his haste and boredom.

From the outside it might have made more sense for Damon and Bonnie to be drawn to one another they were so alike in character, both free spirited and they argued enough to say that they were evenly matched in stubbornness. Damon considered her the closest thing he had ever had to a friend but she had put it in the best of terms herself when she stated that people like them needed a counterbalance. That was why she and her sister remained so close, she kept Bonnie grounded. Stefan did the same for her in a different way.

In the same vein Bonnie was able to get Stefan to open up, to break himself out of his own confines the way that Damon had thought only he would ever be able to do. He wanted to be that for Emily. He wanted to be someone that she felt comfortable enough to be her entire self with, no reservations, but he wasn't sure about how to go about it. For Bonnie it had been easier to bring about that side in Stefan, he had been open to it and half in love with her before they even met.

Bonnie also had a way about her, a selflessness that made her impulsiveness seem more endearing. Damon on the other hand had the trouble of being impulsive in a way that made him seem uncaring and sometimes he was, but with him it was always easy to misconstrue things either way. So Damon knew that he had to take his time so that his intentions were seen as more than recklessness and impulsivity.

Damon came up to stand beside Emily, though he acknowledged Bonnie and his brother first. Emily stayed focused on her work, even as he stood close enough for their sides to touch. "Oh, Bonnie," Damon called across the room.

Bonnie spared him but a glance as she smeared lavender powder onto Stefan's cheek and he attempted in vain to swat her hands away. "Yes, Damon?"

"Are you teasing my dear sweet brother?" He gave Stefan a grin as his brother looked up at him with a glare before catching Bonnie's hands at the wrist.

"Oh, yes, terribly," Bonnie responded on a laugh. She tugged her hands away from Stefan and wiped them down his pristine white shirt before laughing harder.

"Do continue," Damon encouraged. He watched as his brother sighed before pushing the labels aside and turning to kiss Bonnie which sufficiently distracted her.

"You two are the most bothersome people I have ever encountered," Emily said from beside him, "We will never get anything done. Next time I'll ask Stefan alone to help me."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You know he only agrees in order to spend time with Bonnie," he said, "Your pleas will fall on deaf ears."

"I can be very persuasive when the mood strikes me, Mr. Salvatore," Emily replied and Damon turned to meet her brown gaze.

"Can you?" Damon asked but Emily was already back to her task as if she hadn't been implying what he thought she had. "Why don't you wear your hair down like your sister?" Damon asked after a moment.

Damon watched as Emily's hands stilled. "Such vulnerabilities need to be earned," she said, simply.

"Are you saying that Bonnie's are earned more easily?" Damon asked.

Emily turned to him then her eyes narrowed. "I am not implying anything of the sort about my sister," she said, "She is young. It is common for young girls to wear their hair in such a way. Even so she wears it down in front of people she trusts, myself, Katherine, your brother, and you. You should feel lucky to be among those named. She's as decisive as I am about who she makes herself vulnerable for, just in a different way."

Damon nodded in understanding. He watched as Emily licked the residue from the anise she had been grinding from her fingers. It was an odd thing to do, she never did it with any other herbs or spices. Bonnie said she liked the way it tasted. It was an acquired taste, but so was he, he supposed. "I hope to see your hair down one day, Emily," he said as he watched her pull her finger out of her mouth.

"I do not waste my time on hopes, Mr. Salvatore," Emily said, giving him a sideways glance, "If there is something that you want, I find that your efforts are better spent on going after it rather than hoping for it to come to pass."

"How does one get what they want from you?" Damon asked, it was a bold question but he never did anything by halves.

"You could pass as a smart man, Damon," Emily answered, "Ponder on it long enough and I am certain you will come up with something."

Damon smirked as Emily went back to work. "I do believe, Miss Bennett that I will take you up on that challenge."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

Sheila Bennett frowned as she looked down at the sets of pictures and drawings. Lifetimes and places they had lived over and over and over again. Forty times. She had watched her daughter give birth to Emily and Bonnie forty times. Had watched her granddaughters die each time before the age of thirty. No sooner had she buried them, Abby would be nine months pregnant with Emily again and then once she came, Bonnie would soon follow. The cycle would continue and continue. The curse of immortality with endless motherhood.

It never got easier, watching them die. Not when they were burned in Salem. Not when they had drowned when fleeing Klaus in England. Not when they were burned again in Mystic Falls. Not when they had been killed by that mysterious vampire in the New Orleans massacre. Not in any time period or in any case. It was their curse to watch the girls live and die again and again.

Sheila's own curse was nothing compared to her daughter's. The curse of nine lives. She had only lost three in all these years and yet the prospect of losing the others still terrified her because she would no longer be there to protect her own once they were done.

Abby had thought that things would be easier this time around. That taking herself out of the picture and not telling the girls what they were would prolong their lives. She'd even gone as far as to perform a spell that kept the girls from noticing things when their powers began to develop. It hadn't worked well on Bonnie but it had worked too well on Emily. Sheila was afraid that all of the preventative measures that her daughter had taken over the years would backfire.

In their lives before, the girls had known what they were from the beginning. They had learned to harness and hone their power from a young age. They would have been close mastering their craft by the ages they were now. But in this time they were ignorant of their gifts and Sheila had a limited time to teach them what they needed to know now that the danger was already afoot. This time they were at a disadvantage.

She would need help. That meant that it was time for her daughter to come home. Sheila had a phone call to make and then afterwards she had a ritual to prepare for. Sign of impending doom or not that comet was a celestial event that they could harness energy from. They would need to perform the protection ritual whether the girls wanted to or not. Sheila would have to make them believe because what was after them was coming whether they chose to believe or not.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

The body had been found two nights ago ripped to pieces. It had almost been unrecognizable. The town council was in a frenzy and Emily was determined to protect Katherine and the others if only because that meant protecting her sister and herself as well. If the vampires went down, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't reveal her and Bonnie's secret and take them down as well.

Emily needed to examine the site of the murder. She needed to make sure that Katherine was telling the truth, that there was something outside of the vampires doing the killings. According to Katherine, they would never be so sloppy. Bonnie trusted her. Emily wasn't so sure.

She walked around the circle of trees looking for the one that Pearl claimed that she would find. She jumped as she heard movement behind her.

Emily turned around fast and sighed in relief when saw that it was only Bonnie standing behind her with an oil lamp in hand. "Did you really think I'd let you come out here alone?" Bonnie asked.

Emily shook her head. "Not likely," she said. She moved and Bonnie followed. They both stopped at the same time and Emily suspected that Bonnie could feel the power coming from of the tree that John Gilbert had found the slain body in front of that morning. "Shine the light over here," Emily instructed, "I think this is it."

Bonnie moved the light over to shine on the tree. She frowned as she eyed the symbol carved into the bark. "I feel like I've seen this before."

Emily nodded. "It looks like an eye," she whispered, "I'll have to check my grimoire."

Bonnie shook her head as Emily traced the carvings with her index finger. "Emily that isn't an eye….look closer," Bonnie said.

Emily looked at the symbol again and after a moment, realization donned. She looked at the talisman on Bonnie's neck. "It can't be," she said.

Bonnie touched her talisman and frowned. "It's the same," she whispered, "Someone carved this here on purpose. All anyone has to do is look at my neck and they'll think I'm responsible. They'll come for us. They'll come for us both."

Emily reached out and took her sister's free hand. "I won't let that happen," she promised, "We'll be protected. I swear it." Emily turned back to the tree and with a whispered spell it went up on flames. "Even if we have to destroy this symbol every time we see it."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

Bonnie held onto Stefan's hand as she led him upstairs and to her room. She loved her room at home more than the one she had at her Grams even though she spent more time at Sheila's house. The room at the home she shared with her father held more of her personality in, more of herself. The room her Grams kept for her hadn't changed much since she was about eight.

"You're like the only person who's ever been in my room besides my sister, my Grams, my dad and my best friends so don't laugh, okay?" Bonnie said as they stood outside of the door with the wooden door plaque that had her name on it.

"I won't. I promise." Stefan said and Bonnie nodded before opening the door and letting him inside. She pulled him in with her as she watched his eyes move over the room.

The ways were painted sky blue and Emily had helped her paint landscape scenes on them, trees, grass, flowers of all kind. Butterfly decals dotted the walls as well and Bonnie's dad had gotten her a collection of tree lamps when he was on the road and found this weird bohemian store where he'd also bought her Grams a hemp purse for her birthday, something Sheila Bennett might have thrown right into the trash if not for her granddaughters' protests. The lamps looked like actual trees and had twinkle lights on the branches.

Bonnie's bed was a canopy bed with fake vines and leaves woven around the pillars surrounding it and her sheets were teal and floral print. Her carpet was some imitation grass stuff that her father had gotten from a hardware store and replaced the plush carpeting in her room with a few years back, Bonnie liked to walk on it in her bare feet.

"When I was little I used to hate having to come inside," Bonnie said by way for explanation, "So much so that my sister, Emily, and I would have sleepovers in tents in the back yard just so I could feel the night air and hear the nature sounds. I used to cry when it rained because we had to come inside and I would end up sleeping on the porch and listening to the rain anyway. I got one too many colds and a few too many mosquito bites and so my dad said we had to compromise. This was the compromise. I know it's kind of weird but I've always felt this connection to nature."

Bonnie watched as Stefan closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. "That's not weird at all," he smiled, "The first girl I ever fell in love with she loved nature too. My father didn't approve so we had to meet in secret. Most of our meeting places ended up outdoors. She said that everything had a pulse and she liked to feel it, be a part of it and it made things more intense when we were together."

Bonnie looked thoughtful a moment. "That's exactly it," she said, "Like there's this energy from nature and it heightens certain experiences. My Grams calls it channeling but she also thinks we're witches. Did your first love believe in magic?"

"I told you I'm not well versed in the witch stuff, she was though," Bonnie watched as Stefan's expression became almost wistful. "She believed in a lot of things, a lot people, myself included."

"You really loved her," Bonnie stated, it was clear in the way he talked about her, in the tone of his voice.

"I did," Stefan nodded, looking away, "We didn't have much time together. I learned a lot from the relationship. Namely not to run from connections when I find them because you'll never know how much time you're going to get."

"I think I like the philosophy," Bonnie said, "We don't always get something good out of it. It's not always a lesson. Sometimes you just get left." Bonnie frowned as she thought about her mother and then shook of the feeling. "So you ex-girlfriend believed in magic?"

Stefan studied her a moment and Bonnie thought he might ask after her expression but she was relieved when he didn't. "So much so that she used to dance naked in the first rain of spring with her sister to celebrate spring equinox."

Bonnie laughed. "That's intense," she said, "Also sounds like something that my Grams would encourage. She wants Emily and me to perform this weird protection ritual on the night of the comet. She thinks it's a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

Stefan walked up to her and leaned over her, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her. "So during this ritual are you guys supposed to wear blue?"

"Yes," Bonnie frowned, "How did you….? Wait if this have to do with the whole first love thing because if that's the case I don't know whether to be jealous or weirded out because you clearly have a type."

"No," Stefan said shaking his head, "I've just read Practical Magic; you know the book by Alice Hoffman. The one they made of move out of starring the amazing Sandra Bullock and the incredible Nicole Kidman. It states and I quote, 'If a woman is in trouble, she should always wear blue for protection.'"

"Okay I hate you, because first of all we promised no witch talk," she said, "And second that's literally one of my favorite movies of all time and I've read that book front to back, cover to cover at least ten times."

"You haven't," Stefan said shaking his head. "But we did promise no witch talk so if you want to change the subject we can."

"I have," Bonnie laughed and then, "I can't probably quote it better than you. 'Avoid men who call you 'Baby', and women who have no friends, and dogs that scratch at their bellies and refuse to lie down at your feet. Wear dark glasses; bathe with lavender oil and cool fresh water. Seek shelter from the sun at noon.'"

Stefan shook his head. "You have read it," he laughed.

"According to my Grams it's surprisingly accurate which means either Alice Hoffman is probably a witch too or she at least knew one," Bonnie joked.

"If that's the case I'll avoid ever calling you 'baby'," he declared, "Because I never want you to avoid me." He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose before pulling back and continuing, "But the real question is do you bathe in lavender oil."

Bonnie covered her face with her hands. "I'm embarrassed to say that I do," she admitted, "It has healing qualities. Sharpens the mind and strengthens then spirit." Bonnie expected him to laugh at the statement but Stefan just smiled.

"No wonder you smell so good," Stefan said before leaning forward and kissing her on the lips.

Bonnie closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. When Stefan pulled away she sighed. "I'm sufficiently distracted from the chaos," Bonnie said smiling, "Thank you."

"I didn't think I was being that transparent," Stefan said moving to sit down next to her on the bed, "But anytime and you're welcome." Stefan wrapped his arms and around her and Bonnie leaned into his body. "Would it be so bad to believe in magic?"

"I used to believe in all of this stuff when I was little," she said, "Then my mom left and I just stopped. It just seemed silly I guess. But what if it's real Stefan?"

Stefan's hands framed her face. "Maybe you're debating it because you want to believe it's true," he said, "Why not test it? This ritual your grandmother wants to do, do it. What's the harm in it? If it doesn't work it doesn't but if it does you'll know the truth."

Bonnie was surprised he was taking her at all seriously. Most people would have laughed her off. "Don't tell me you believe in all of this?"

Stefan shrugged. "I believe in you which is the same thing," he whispered.

"But you just met me," Bonnie said, eyeing him in disbelief. "How could you possibly say things like that to me? This doesn't make any sense."

"We met long before this," Stefan said and Bonnie's eyes widen, "We've been dreaming about each other, remember? I've known you for a long time, Bonnie Bennett."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Bonnie liked to meet at the maze at night. She loved to make love beneath the moon and the stars. Being near him always made her powers harder to control, nature gave her something the channel the excess power through.

So every night when the sun with down and his father and brother went to bed Stefan took the woolen blanket his mother had woven him as a boy and went out into the maze to find Bonnie.

Bonnie always arrived first. That night had been no different. Stefan knew that she would be outside all the time if she could, out in the garden among the flowers.

Stefan found Bonnie laying in the grass in her night gown, her feet bare and her hair down. Stefan had at first come out as buttoned up as ever but as the nights went on Stefan left the suits that he wore through the day behind. He came out that night in nothing but his trousers, his feet bare, chest bare, feeling like a tramp raised in the wilds of the woods.

"Why do you never wait for the blanket?" Stefan asked as she came upon Bonnie laid out on the ground.

"I like the feel of the ground beneath me," Bonnie said as she sat up.

The blanket fell from Stefan's hands as Bonnie grabbed his arm and pulled him down on top of her. Stefan went willingly the way he always did, fitting his body between her legs as he kissed her.

The wind picked up around him and Stefan knowing that he was Bonnie, relished in the chill, in the goosebumps that rose on his skin. He gripped her thighs as she ran her fingers through his hair and he was lost. Lost again in the touch and the feel of her as she opened her mouth for him.

They could get caught at any moment he knew, the house was dead asleep but his father often had meetings with the town council members long after Stefan and Damon retired for the evening. Meetings to discuss those secrets that he would take to his grave.

Stefan could bring himself to care as Bonnie switched their positions and began kissing down his chest. "Tomorrow," she said in between kisses, "The first rains of spring come. Emily and I are going to go out into the woods and dance naked under the moonlight."

Stefan moaned beneath her. "You know I have dinner with the Lockwoods tomorrow and I will hardly get to see you at all as it is. You say things like that just to torment me," he said.

"I do," Bonnie conceded moving back up to his mouth, "But it is true. We will dance naked our bodies wet and bare before the earth. It is a thing we witches do from time to time. All those Salem legends of the 1600's had to come from somewhere. I'll be sure to say a blessing for the man I love as I welcome the spring."

"You'll be my end I swear it." Stefan's hand wandered underneath Bonnie's nightgown as he left a trail of opened mouthed kisses down her neck. "I love you, Bonnie," he whispered, "Say a blessing so that we'll be together forever."

"Forever is a long time," Bonnie murmured against his lips as he turned his head to look into her eyes.

Bonnie began to work her hand into his trousers and Stefan sighed. "Ah, not long enough."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

As much as Bonnie had wanted Stefan to stay the night he had left shortly after she had fallen asleep. In the morning Bonnie still awoke with a smile. Stefan had been with her in her dreams again and she felt as if she were on an all-time high.

Bonnie got dressed, deciding on a blue mini dress and a black cardigan and black boots. She put on a pair of blue earrings and got her things for school.

She stopped by her Grams house and they had ended up deciding to go and see Vicki Donovan in the hospital. As weird as Bonnie felt about it, she knew that she'd feel worse if she didn't go.

Bonnie had gotten a teddy bear from the hospital gift shop and they had gone to her room just before the schedule visiting hours. Both Matt and Vicki had been asleep once they got there, Matt in a chair by Vicki's hospital bed.

Sheila stood in the doorway as Bonnie moved forward and touched Matt's shoulder, gently shaking him awake. As he woke Matt looked at up at her with the same doe eyed expression that he always did as she stood over him. "Hey," he said, smiling at the bear in Bonnie's hand, "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," Bonnie smiled back, "How's she doing?"

"She's been sleeping mostly," Matt replied, "The one time she was awake she said she didn't remember anything. I just wish I knew what happened."

"I'm so sorry, Matt." As Matt stood Bonnie hugged him and looked at Vicki's prone frame over Matt's shoulder.

Bonnie pulled away from Matt and walked over to the hospital bed. She placed a hand over one of Vicki's and the girl suddenly gasped loudly. Bonnie watched as he eyes flew open and the girl grabbed Bonnie's wrist her grip bruising.

"Bonnie!" Vicki wailed, "You're next, Bonnie! Your fate is coming! You're not safe! Protect your own! Protect your own!"

"Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt exclaimed and before Bonnie could react he was ripping Vicki's hand away from her and her Grams was pulling her into her side.

Matt grabbed Vicki around the waist as she continued to try to lunge at Bonnie. "I have to tell her Matty!" she screamed, "I have to warn her! No! Fate waits for no man! Fate waits for no woman! The answers in the power! The comet is coming! Use it, Bonnie! Protect your own!"

Bonnie backed out of the room as the nurses and orderlies came in to the room and sedated Vicki as Matt looked on in horror.

"We need to go now," Sheila hissed in Bonnie's ear before dragging her out of the hospital.

Bonnie never made it to school. She ended up back at her grandmother's house watching as her grandmother frantically gathered candles and crystals and a large ornate book with yellowed pages and a brown cover.

Sheila piled everything up on the coffee table in the living room and then sat next to Bonnie on the couch as they waited for Emily got come home from work.

"What was that back there Grams?" Bonnie asked, her voice faltering.

"A warning," Sheila stated, "We don't have much time. When the comet comes we have to do that ritual. It's the only thing that can hold off what's to come."

"Is Vicky going to be alright?" Bonnie shook her head. "What do you mean what's to come?"

"I'll come and see about her once things calmed down. I'll explain everything when your sister gets here but this time I need you to hear me, Bonnie," Sheila said grabbing both of her hands, "Do you understand?"

Bonnie nodded. She was afraid but something in her knew that she had to take her grandmother seriously this time around. "I understand," Bonnie nodded.

Sheila framed Bonnie's face with her hands and kissed both her cheeks. "We'll be fine," she said, "You hear me? We'll be fine."

It seemed like an eternity before Emily came home. When she finally did and she took note of Bonnie's face and Sheila's face she frowned. "Who died?" She asked and Bonnie wished that she could laugh.

Bonnie told her what happened with Vicki as their grandmother left the room. "If this is something witch related," Emily sighed, "I don't want to hear it but I might have to."

Bonnie gripped Emily's shoulders as her sister sat down next to her. "You weren't there," she said, "You didn't see it. It was so real, Em. It scared me. Grams things this ritual can protect us from whatever is going on. Maybe it can and maybe it can't but we have to try. Something is going on even if it isn't this and if nothing else this ritual thing will give Grams some peace of mind until we figure out what the hell it really is."

Emily looked at Bonnie long and hard before she sighed. "Fine," she said, "I'll do it for you. But you need to be honest with me. Are you starting to believe all of this witch stuff?"

Bonnie swallowed. She thought about meeting Stefan. She thought about all the odd occurrences before and afterwards. She thought about Vicki's warning. "I am," she said seriously.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and looked to be debating with herself. "Some weird things happened to be today and then earlier at the bar earlier when I met this guy I think I did something or felt something," she said, "So maybe I'm open to the possibility."

"It's about time," Sheila said walking back into the room, "But I'm going to need you girls a little more than open."

Both Emily and Bonnie looked at her as she came to join them. Bonnie watched as she laid out pictures and drawings over the rituals supplies. Some black and white and some in color. Drawings from medical times. Sepia exposures dated 1864. Black and white pictures dated 1920. More black and white photos from the 1960's. Color photographs from the early 80's and finally on into present day. The pictures had one thing in common, they were all pictures of Bonnie and Emily.

"Now I'll ask you again," Sheila said, "Are you both ready to really listen?"

Bonnie reached out and found that Emily's hand was already reaching back. Bonnie gripped her sister's hand tightly as Emily spoke. "We're ready," Emily nodded.

Bonnie watched as her grandmother sat down in a chair across from them and began to speak. She told them about their powers, about their family. She told them about the curses on their heads and how they had been born and reborn. She told them things that Bonnie could hardly fathom. She told them the real reason behind her mother's departure and while Bonnie was relieved she could finally stop blaming herself she wasn't sure if she was ready for her mother's return.

"So this whole time," Bonnie said, "I was right. Even back then when I told you all about mom and her response was to put some kind of spell to make me forget or something?"

"She thought she was protecting you," Grams said, "Both of you. She thought if you didn't know about magic you'd be safer but what was coming for you came for you anyway and now you're not as prepared as you would have been had you known. This spell we'll be casting on the night of the comet will give us protection and buy us some time. Time for you to grow in power, to learn how to use your gifts, to learn about your pasts and time to prepare for what's coming for us all."

Emily's grip on her hand was iron tight and even though she looked put together, Bonnie knew her sister well enough to know that she was just as scared as Bonnie was. The difference was Bonnie had always wanted to believe in magic, Emily hadn't. Bonnie tried to make a joke to break the tension. "So do we really dance naked in the rain during spring equinox?"

Emily laughed and Bonnie smiled. "We do," Sheila said, "It's very cleansing and powerful. Who told you that?"

As Emily laughed harder Bonnie shook her head. She would definitely have to find out more about Stefan's ex-girlfriend.

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

"How many lives do you think you've had already?" Katherine asked Bonnie as she tightened the strings on Katherine's corset. "How far back do you think this thing goes?"

Katherine had her hands prompted on each side of her full length mirror to steady herself. "I'm not sure," Bonnie shrugged. "I know of a few but if we could remember any of the ones before we'd know who was after us by now."

"I'm a doppelganger so do you think you encountered one of my shadow selves?" Katherine laughed, "Do you think that we were friends before? I know we were when we met in England but who knows you could have been dealing with the Petrova for decades."

"Then I am certain that one of my deaths was by suicide," Bonnie grinned.

"Ouch," Katherine laughed, "You love me and you know it. Are coming with me to Pearl's later? I need you to preoccupy Annabel. She's quite smitten with you I believe."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, letting the strings fall. "I am not like you Katherine," she said, "I don't need hordes of suitors giving me constant attention. I'm only interested in Stefan."

Katherine huffed. "You don't have to be interested in the girl to get her out of the way for a bit," Katherine sighed, "Besides, I know clearly where you interest lies and he is very much in love with you in return."

Katherine turned to Bonnie and touched the side of her face. "What is it?" Bonnie asked, "You're giving me your puppy eyes."

"Have you thought about what will happen if you and Emily meet the same fate as before," Katherine said, "If you die young. What will happen to your suitor then?"

Bonnie frowned. She didn't want to think about it but she had, especially since the bodies started piling up around town. "He'll move on," Bonnie murmured, "Marry. Have a normal life."

"What if he doesn't want a normal life?" Katherine asked, "What if he wants to be with you forever?"

"Forever is a long time," Bonnie said, shaking your head.

"He told me you would say that," Katherine frowned, "When he approached me asking for me to turn him."

"What?" Bonnie scowled, stepping away from her.

"Don't look like that I haven't agreed to it yet," Katherine sighed, "He loves you. He knows that if something happens then you'll come back to him and he wants to be with you in any way that he can for all eternity. What is so wrong with that?"  
"I'll come back but it won't be me," Bonnie said.

Katherine gripped her hands and squeezed. "It will in all the ways that count," Katherine said, "Trust me I know. I found you again for a reason. Your friendship means more to me now that it did then. You have to know that. Everything that's good in you, your loyalty, your humor, your power, your beauty, and your love it lives again Bonnie, no matter how different you are each time."

"Katherine," Bonnie shook her head, "I couldn't ask him to do something like this."

"You wouldn't be," Katherine said, "He loves you and he's asked for it. At the end of the day it's his choice to make. All you have to do Bonnie Bennett is for once in all of your lives be selfish and let someone make a sacrifice for you for once. You know what it's like to love him, do you really want to rob your future selves of that and do you really want to rob him of you?"

"I'll discuss it with him," Bonnie promised, "I'll consider it."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

Bonnie Bennett stood in front of the Salvatore Boardinghouse, hand poised to knock on the door. She had come straight after her talk with her grandmother. She'd told them everything and it was all true. They were witches. Witches with a grandmother cursed with nine lives and a mother cursed with eternal motherhood that was apparently being called back into town to help solve some mystery that apparently spanned hundreds of years regarding who the hell was torturing her family. Bonnie had turned to Emily and her Grams for comfort for only a moment and then her first instinct had been to run.

It hadn't taken her long to find out where Stefan lived. It was a small town and people talked. Bonnie wanted to tell Stefan everything but knew that she couldn't and so she had decided that being around him and revealing what she could would be enough. Something about him made her feel stable, grounded. Everything was chaotic at the moment and apparently she hadn't been imagining all of the odd occurrences happening around her, it had been her powers surfacing. Her Grams said that her powers were tied to her emotions and so she knew that she needed to calm down, at the moment, Stefan was her calm.

Bonnie was about to knock on the door when suddenly it flew open to reveal a man with dark hair and blue eyes. He grinned at her and greeted her with a jovial tone as if they were old friends. "Bonnie Bennett," he said, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"Do I know you?" Bonnie frowned. She remembered Stefan saying that he lived with his brother and his uncle and assumed this man was the former.

"No but you want to," he said, "Damon Salvatore. The cooler and better looking brother of Stefan Salvatore the one that has been brooding all day because _you_ didn't show up to school after your magical night of _epic_ conversation, because he thought he scared you off. But now that you're here he can stop pouting and I can stop babysitting so…. do come in. Stefan has been moaning your name mournfully for the past few hours and praying to the stars that you'd return to him."

Bonnie blinked. "It's still day light out," she quipped, "Are you always this much of a drama queen or is me being here like a special occasion? Let me guess, first girl Stefan's meets in a new town and you couldn't resist embarrassing him. Am I close?"

Damon laughed. "She has a since of humor, does she?" he said as he led Bonnie through the foyer, "My brother knows how to pick them. Also you're not bad on the eyes. I met your sister last night by the way. She's hot. Like the Salvatore apparently you have good genes. Put in a good word for me, would you?"

Bonnie frowned remembering something Emily said about weird things happening after meeting some guy at the Grill. Stefan apparently had some kind of effect on her powers and if Damon was the guy that Emily was talking about then that meant that it was possible that he had some sort effect on hers. That meant that there was obviously more to the Salvatore than met the eye. "Sorry," Bonnie said, "You're on your own with that."

Damon placed a hand over his chest and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'm hurt," he said, wiping away a mock tear, "But I forgive you. We're going to be friends you and me. I can _feel_ it."

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh as he leaned down and wiggled his eyebrows in her direction. "Are you on something?"

"I'm on life Bonbon," he said, before calling out, "Stefan your girlfriend's here!"

Bonnie had been looking around the parlor but her eyes widened at his proclamation. "I'm not…I mean we're not," she started, "Not that I don't want to…." She trailed as suddenly Stefan appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She frowned as he stopped in front of her. "Um…hi."

"Hi," Stefan smiled and Bonnie felt the nervous energy she had been feeling settle and calm as he reached out and took her hand. "You weren't in school."

"Long story," Bonnie said, looking pointedly at Damon.

"I'll leave you two love birds alone," Damon said as he walked towards the door, "Nice meeting you Bonbon."

Bonnie stared at Stefan. "He's going to call me that forever now isn't he," she said as Damon disappeared.

"Probably," Stefan nodded. "Ignore him, he's an idiot." As his brother left shutting the door behind him, he leaned down and kissed Bonnie on the lips. "He's right about one thing thought, I missed you today at school. What's going on?"

"I missed you too," Bonnie sighed. She bit her lip before she continued. "So long story short," she began, "It's true. I'm a witch and my sister is a witch and my Grams and my long lost mother is a witch. We went to see Vicki this morning and she flipped out and was shouting all of this stuff. My Grams thinks it's a warning and so the whole freaky comet protection ritual is definitely happening and now my mother is coming back to town. Apparently there's some kind of dark force coming after us and has been after us for….a long time I guess. I can't really go into details but my brain is pretty much fried and I can't even process anything."

"It is a lot to process," Stefan nodded, "But we don't have to talk about it right now. Not that it isn't amazing and I promise your secret is safe with me. If you want I'll even help you in any way I can when you start to really learn what all of this means. However, for now I think what you really need is lots of ice-cream and possibly Netflix binging. Basically anything unrelated to everything you just said up until the comet ritual of doom happens."

Bonnie didn't understand it. She'd literally known him two days and he just took whatever she said or did in stride and she was pretty sure she was half in love with him already. "I've know you a couple of days and I tell you I'm a witch and not only are you completely fine with it but you offer me ice cream. Who are you? Where did you come from? How are you so perfect?"

Stefan shrugged. "You conjured me up remember?" he said, "Come on let's get you that ice cream." Bonnie let herself be guided into Stefan's kitchen. "So can I come and watch this whole ritual thing?"

"My Grams would not approve so, no," Bonnie replied, "But we're not even going to be naked so you're not missing much. Also, we do apparently dance naked in the rain for the first spring shower to celebrate the spring equinox. If you play your cards right I might just do it in private and give offer you a front row seat."

"I've known you a couple of days and you offer me a front row seat to watch you dance naked in the rain," Stefan grinned looking at her with an over exaggerated expression of awe, "Who are you? Where did you come from? How are you so perfect?"

Bonnie laughed and she knew she had made the right choice by coming over. "I wish I could be this happy all the time." She almost regretted the words until Stefan's expression softened.

"Glad I can be of service," he said, "And after the comet ritual to ward off impending doom you'll be able to use your gifts, explore them for the first time. It's exciting. You should feel good about that Bonnie. Your powers are something that are just yours. No one can take them away. More importantly you can finally believe in magic. What could be better than that?"

He once again knew the right thing to say at the right time. As much as the scared her Bonnie wanted to embrace her powers and find out more about who she was and who she had been in all of her other lives before. The answers could also reveal whatever the threat from before had been and she could make sure that she and her family stayed safe. She could do that and learn to use her powers at the same time. Stefan believed in her and that fostered her belief in herself.

"I know we just met," Bonnie felt at ease as she looked into his eyes and spoke, "But I really don't think I could get through any of this without you."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, 1864**_

Giuseppe Salvatore followed Johnathan Gilbert the forest. They had found two more bodies in as many days and he knew that there was something darker than anything they had thought they would unearth, lurking within the town limits.

His sons were loss to him, it would seem. At first he had thought that they had been bewitched by Lady Katherine, however, he soon realized that both to of their interests lied elsewhere. With the Bennett girls, the girls who had secrets of their own. Giuseppe needed a reason to be rid of them. He couldn't have his family fall into shame and mockery due to the actions of his offspring. .However, he had to be careful, and calculated.

Johnathan finally came to a stop in front of a clearing in the trees. "We must be careful," he told Giuseppe, "There is much darkness here."

As they walked through the clearing Giuseppe felt deeply uneasy. He lifted the lamp to guise his way and suddenly he saw what Johnathan had come to show him. Burden into the grass was a circular symbol with a smaller circle inside of it and three curving lines. On first glance it looked like an eye but Giuseppe knew that he had seen that symbol somewhere before.

"This symbol has been found near every body that has been discovered," Johnathan said.

Giuseppe scowled. "We'll find who's responsible and then they will burn."

 **:::**

 _ **Mystic Falls, Present Day**_

The night of the comet the Bennett women donned flowing blue dresses. The material was sheer and light and dragged across the ground as Bonnie, Emily and Sheila made their way to through the forest and to the falls. Their feet were bare and their hair down. Each woman carried a crystal in one hand and a candle in the other. Sheila carried labradorite , which shielded against psychic attack, fixation and ill-wishes. Emily carried black obsidian, which protected against sorcery and ill fortune. Last but not least Bonnie carried, fluorite which cloaked your energy signature, guarded against sorcery and combatted the effects of curses.

Bonnie was brimming with anticipation as they walked across the bridge over the falls. She could feel the buzz of her powers under the surface, had felt it for some time if she were honest, it was just now she knew what it was.

"You don't have to look so excited," Emily shook her head in amusement.

Bonnie grinned back. "We're going to channel the celestial powers of a comet for our very first spell ever," she said, "If that isn't exciting I don't know what is."

Bonnie watched as her Grams took a piece of chalk out of the pocket of her dress and drew a pentagram on the bridges surface. "Do you remember the incantation?" She asked.

The girls nodded and Bonnie bounced on the heels of her feet after the set the stones in the center of the pentagram. "Can we do the thing with the candles?" Bonnie asked.

When Sheila nodded Bonnie beamed at her and Emily rolled her eyes but smiled. Bonnie held her candle in both hands and Emily and Sheila did the same. "One," Emily said,

"Two." She counted.

"Three," Bonnie finished. As Bonnie said the last number they all blew on over their candles. Bonnie smiled as flames lit the wicks as their breaths wafted over them.

"Candles down," Sheila instructed. The girls placed the candles on the points of the pentagram and Sheila did the same. "Hands." Bonnie gripped first Emily's hand and her Grams' hand and they created a circle around the pentagram. "Eyes to the skies girls, the chanting has to start as soon as it starts to pass."

Bonnie looked upward and after what seemed like forever the comet began to pass overhead. Bonnie took a deep breath and the chanting began, "Qui agit contra nos protegat. Nos protegat, et ab his tibi. Ut praesidio nostris se defendat."

 _Protect us from those who would act against us. Shield us from those with ill will. Protect us as we protect our own._ Again and again they chanted until the crystals began to glow and the flames of the candles reach new heights and extinguished.

Bonnie watched as white light erupted from each crystal and weaved around each other before weaving around her, her sister and her grandmother. Bonnie felt a warmth from the inside out and she felt powerful as the lights shot through the sky and out into the night.

"You feel that?" Sheila grinned, "That means for now we'll safe. It's heading for your mother. She'll be safe too. Whatever is out there it's going to have one hell of time trying to get to us."

After the ritual Bonnie felt lighter and fuller all at once. She and Emily drove into town not bothering to change their clothes singing along with the radio as they made their way into town square where the rest of the town was still watching the comet as it passed.

When Emily parked the car Bonnie got out and ran through the square her hair flying behind her and her feet still bare. Emily followed at a much slower pace, laughing at Bonnie's antics.

When Bonnie found her friends, she wasn't surprised when they looked at her with wide eyes. "Bonnie what are you wearing?" Caroline asked.

"More importantly where are your shoes?" Elena laughed from Tyler's lap.

"The comet is a sign of impending doom," a voice said from behind her, "She's wearing blue for protection. What else would she be wearing?"

Bonnie turned to Stefan and beamed up at him. "We did it," she said.

"I figured," he replied which made her friends look even more confused which Bonnie didn't really care about either.

Bonnie watched as Emily made her way to through the crowd and stopped to stand by Damon. "Emily," he greeted to which Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Big Tipper," Emily grinned.

Bonnie gave Stefan a look and he shrugged. She watched as Damon looked down at Emily's feet. "Is the lack of shoes a broke college student thing?"

Emily looked over and met Bonnie eyes and smiled. "Nah," she said, "Bennet women just like to feel the ground beneath their feet."

Bonnie smiled back at her sister as Stefan wrapped his arms around her. "Your hair looks good down," Damon commented as he eyed Emily, "You should wear it down more often."

"I rarely ever wear it down," Emily said, "Consider yourself lucky to have witnessed it."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at her sister's attempt to flirt and turned back to Stefan. She watched as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a necklace, a silver circular charm with a garnet stone. It felt almost familiar as Stefan placed it in her hands. "What is this?"

"A gift," he whispered lowly so that no one around them could hear, "In celebration of your first spell."

"Thank you," Bonnie murmured. "It's beautiful."

As Stefan helped Bonnie put on the necklace, she felt like something important had been returned to her.

Across town a couple in a tent were being murdered, their bodies left for the authorities to find. A depiction of the charm on Bonnie's necklace was burned into the trunks of the surrounding trees.

 _ **End Notes: So this fic has been really fun to write so far so hopefully it remains so! Hope you guys liked the update! Please review! See you next time!**_


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